Salpicon de Huanchinango
Red Snapper Hash
© Zarela Martinez

Valencia Spiced Ruby Potato Salad
© Steve Petusevsky

Buche Boliche
Cuban Pot Roast
© Donna Shield

Boliche, also known as Cuban pot roast, is a classic dish, made with an eye round roast and a ham stuffing. I made some changes, for nutrition’s sake, still maintained the basic essence of the dish, and actually came up with something that, I think, is more interesting than the original. Eye round is a lean cut of meat to start with, so it was the filling that needed some revamping. The ham stuffing has been replaced with a sweet and savory mixture of dates, banana, and capers. Looking for a gravy alternative, I thought about another Cuban classic: high test espresso coffee, also known as buche (boo-chee). Dark brown, brewed coffee works beautifully as a gravy base, providing deep color, rich flavor and no fat.

1 teaspoon salt                                                  
1 tablespoon drained capers
1 teaspoon dried oregano laves                   
2/3 cup diced onion
3/4 teaspoon black pepper                                  
1/2 cup diced carrot
3 garlic cloves, minced                               
1 cup brewed espresso coffee, at room temperature
1 1/2 pounds trimmed eye round roast         
1/3 cup finely chopped ripe banana                     
1/4 cup dry red wine
6 pitted dates, finely chopped

1.    In a mortar and pestle, combine 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, the oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper, and the garlic; set this aside.

2.    With a long, narrow, non-serrated knife, make a 1-inch hole through the center of the roast. Insert the knife in one end and twist it around as you pierce all the way through the roast, coming out the other end. You may need to stick the knife back in and turn it a few times to get a nice circular hole for the stuffing.

3.    In a small bowl, mash the bananas, dates, capers, and half the seasoning blend until he mixture holds together. Using your fingers and working from both ends, pushing the stuffing into the hole until filled.

4.    Rub the remaining seasoning blend over the outside of the roast. Place the onion and carrot in a shallow pan and sit the roast on top of the vegetables. Combine the coffee and wine and pour it over the meat. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours, turning occasionally.

5.    Drain and serve the marinade. In a 4-quart saucepan with a tight –fitting lid, brown the roast on all sides over medium heat for a total of 10 minutes. Reduce the heat, push the roast to the side of the pan, and add the onions and carrots from the marinade, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt , and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of pepper to the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Cook the vegetables for 10 minutes, until soft. Add the coffee wine marinade, turn the roast once, cover, and simmer over medium low heat for three hours, until the meat is fork tender.

6.    When done, remove the roast from the gravy and let it sit for 5 minutes before slicing. Cut into 1/2-inche slices, transfer to a serving platter, and spoon the gravy over the meat. Eating this is like biting into a Tootsie Roll pop. The soft center makes attractive slices that taste as good as they look.

Serves 4

Per Serving: Calories: 260; Fat 4 g; Cholesterol: 80 mg; Sodium: 700mg; % Daily Value: Vitamin B12 40%, Vitamin A 39%, Zinc 37%, Vitamin B6 32%, Niacin 24%, Iron 16%

 
Cabbage Slaw
© Hannia Campos

Traditionally served as a side dish with rice and beans or to make a “gallo” (a corn tortilla with shredded barbecued meat or chorizo).

 1 white cabbage finely shredded
1 cup tomatoes, diced (remove seeds)
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced
1 cup sweet red pepper, finely chopped (optional)
1/3 cup lime juice
Salt to taste

1.    Shred the cabbage as finely as possible.
2.    Mix the tomatoes cilantro and peppers in a bowl.
3.    Toss cabbage with the diced vegetables.
4.    Add lime and salt at the last minute before serving to avoid wilting of the cabbage.

Yields 4-6 servings

  
Vermicelli Soup
© Courtesy of Barilla Mexico

1 lb. vermicelli pasta (fideos)
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
2-3 medium-sized tomatoes
1/4 of an onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 liters of water
1 1/2 liter chicken broth
salt to taste

1.  Fry the pasta in a casserole with 1/2 cup of vegetable oil until browned.

2. Prepare caldillo (tomato sauce) by combining (in blender) 2-3 medium tomatoes with the 1/2 of onion, 2 cloves of garlic, and 2 liters of water to liquefy. 

3. Simmer mixture until it is alive in red color. 

4. Mix together pasta, sauce and salt. 

5.  Add the chicken broth to the mixture and heat until the pasta is cooked, for approximately 20 minutes. 

6.  Add vegetables if desired (carrots, spinach or beets) prior to adding chicken broth.

Serves 8

  
Verduras Salteadas con Achiote y Chiles
Stir-fried Creens with Chile and Annatto Oil
© Anya von Bremzen, "Fiesta"
Doubleday, 1997

This is an excellent all-purpose side dish.  Use any green that strikes your fancy — collard greens, Swiss chard, mustard greens, spinach or bok choy — or any combination.

1 dried red chile
3 tablespoons annatto oil (see below)
7 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
1 cup red bell pepper strips
2 pounds greens, tough stems removed, washed and dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1.  Stem the chile and shake out the seeds.  Using scissors, cut the chile into four pieces.

2.  In a wok or a 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over low heat.  Add the garlic and chile and sauté until the garlic is light golden, 2 to 3 minutes.  With a slotted spoon, remove the garlic and chile to a bowl.

3.  Turn the heat up to high and add the red pepper.  Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.  Add the greens and cook, tossing and stirring, until they just wilt; the time will depend on the greens you have chosen, anywhere from 3 to 6 minutes.

4.  Transfer the greens to a serving plate and garnish with the fried garlic and chile.

Serves 4 to 6

Aceite de Achiote
Annatto Oil
© Anya von Bremzen, "Fiesta"
Doubleday, 1997

Many Latin dishes are prepared with an appealing red-hued oil infused with annatto seeds.  If you don’t have any annatto oil on hand, it can be made quickly by infusing the desired amount of oil with annatto seeds.  The proportion is about 1 1/2 teaspoons of annatto seeds for each tablespoon of oil.  Annatto seeds are available at all Latin groceries and corner bodegas, and in many supermarkets in areas with large Hispanic populations.

2 cups light olive, peanut of canola oil
1 cup annatto seeds

1.  In a medium skillet, heat the oil with the annatto seeds over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. 

2.   Remove the oil from the heat and let it cool completely, about 25 minutes.

3.   Strain through a double layer of cheesecloth into a clean bottle. Store in a cool place as long as any other oil.

  
Ensalada de Calabaza y Pina
a la Brasa con Vinagreta de Piloncillo
Pepitas de Calabaza, Cacao y Comdimento
de Caco y Chile
Grilled Pineapple and Caribbean Pumpkin Salad
with Pumpkin Seeds and Cacao Nib Vinaigrette
© Maricel Presilla

An aromatic vinaigrette lightly sweetened with piloncillo, the unrefined Mexican brown loaf sugar, and punctuated by crunchy pumpkin seeds and cacao nibs (the shelled kernels of roasted cacao beans) adds depth and tangy flavor to a calabaza (Caribbean pumpkin) and grilled pineapple salad. The aroma of the grill permeates the fruit like a heady seasoning giving it a succulent meaty quality. For a touch of heat, I sprinkle on a dash of a powerful Guatemalan condiment made of cacao nibs and scorching hot chile piquín. I find the chile and cacao blend magically intensifies the sweetness of both the pumpkin and the pineapple.

This is one of my favorite salads at my restaurant Cucharamama, where people often eat it as a vegetarian main course or as a side dish with chicken or fish. As well as being delicious, it fits beautifully with today’s nutritional priorities—the fresh pineapple, rich in vitamin C, the densely meaty calabaza, with its complex carbohydrates, beta-carotenes and high vitamin A content, and the other contributions of unrefined cane sugar, olive oil, roasted pumpkin seeds (a good source of vegetable protein, fiber, and essential fatty acids), fruit vinegar, and cacao nibs, full on anti-oxidant polyphenols.

In culinary terms, this is a lovely amalgam of ingredients that are central to a wide area of Latin America --the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and tropical South America (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil). The brown loaf sugar (Mexican piloncillo is what I’ve used here) is not an original New World ingredient, but it is now one of the classic flavors in all the old sugar-sugar growing lands of the tropics.      Calabaza, a large meaty, warm-weather squash, is beloved throughout the same region, which is also home to cacao and allspice (known in Latin America as pimienta dulce, pimienta gorda or pimienta de Chiapas). Pineapple is a South American fruit, but in Mexico (especially in Veracruz) and Central America it grows abundantly and no part of the fruit is wasted. The peels and trimmings go to make fermented drinks and a wonderful vinegar that I highly recommend for this dish.                  

The Pineapple:
1 ripe pineapple (about 4 pounds), peeled, cored and cut into slabs or 1-inch rounds
1/4 cup Fragrant Brown Loaf Sugar (Piloncillo) Syrup

The Pumpkin:
2 pounds Caribbean pumpkin (calabaza), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 bay leaves
1 stick true Ceylon cinnamon (sold as Mexican cinnamon or canela in Hispanic markets)
2 teaspoons salt
10 allspice berries

The Piloncillo Vinaigrette:
4 garlic cloves, mashed to a paste with mortar and pestle
1/4 cup cider vinegar or Salvadorian pineapple vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Fragrant Brown Loaf Sugar Loaf (Piloncillo) Syrup

To Garnish:
2 ounces hulled green pumpkin seeds, roasted
1 tablespoon cacao nibs
For a Touch of Heat (Optional) Kekchi Maya Cacao and Chile Powdered Condiment

Grilling or Broiling the Pineapple:
Prepare the grill. When the embers start getting ashy place the pineapple on the grill and cook for 10 minutes on each side. Brush with the syrup and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from the grill, cut into 1-inch cubes, discarding the tough core, and set aside. To broil, place the pineapple on a  baking sheet and brush with the syrup. Broil for 8 minutes at medium heat. Turn over and brush again with the syrup; broil for 8 more minutes at medium heat. Cut into 1-inch cubes, discarding the tough core, and set aside.

Cooking the Calabaza:
Place the calabaza in a 4-quart pot with 8 cups water, bay leaf, cinnamon, salt, and allspice berries. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until fork tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Preparing the Piloncillo Vinaigrette:
Place the garlic, vinegar, olive oil, allspice, salt, and Piloncillo Syrup in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.

Assembling the Salad:
Place the cooked pumpkin and pineapple in a large bow and toss with the Piloncillo Vinaigrette and the roasted  pumpkin seeds. Mound on a serving platter and sprinkle with the cacao nibs. For a flavorful touch of heat, finish at the table with a sprinkling of the Guatemalan Kekchi Maya Cacao and Chile Condiment.

Serves 6-8